Psychoanalytic Therapists in Central Toronto, Toronto, ON

The therapeutic encounter fosters acceptance of what has, or has not happened to you in your life. It's a transformative experience that allows you to know yourself profoundly and helps you move forward in your life. I use the psychoanalytic approach, which is based on working through your internal conflicts and puzzling self-sabotaging behaviours. Using dreams, free association and working with the "here and now" of our relationship, we work together to address what prompted you to seek help.

Emphatic listening to help you delve deeply into your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Overcome emotional suffering through self exploration and towards inner harmony. The experience of inner disruption or disturbance, emptiness or disquietude, is familiar to almost all individuals seeking psychotherapy. Yet, the search for meaning and transcendence in such suffering allows the patient to attain a harmonious, wholesome existence. The psychoanalytical approach will allow you to discover the origins and meaning of suffering in order to build, re-establish, and reinforce the balance of being-in-the-world.

I am a Registered Psychologist and Psychoanalyst in Toronto with 25 years experience and a highly regarded teacher and clinical supervisor with extensive experience in psychotherapy training and supervision. I am a Lecturer in Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and train and supervise psychiatry residents in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the University Health Network. I am also on Faculty and a Supervising Analyst at the Toronto Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis and I teach in the Advanced Training Program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the Toronto Psychoanalytic Institute.

As a therapist and psychoanalytic candidate, my approach is collaborative, trauma informed and integrative. Important to my approach is the development of a therapeutic relationship that fosters acceptance, trust and compassion; providing space to attend to your concerns and attune to your aspirations. My approach also considers relationships between larger social, cultural, and historical contexts and your psychological well-being.

People require help with various issues at some point of their lifes. It could be difficulty making a decision, relationship problems, dissatisfaction with career, financial warries, losses, illness, or injury. Regardless of the magnitude of the problem it is often beneficial to discuss your problem with a professional who may help you to see the issue from a different perspective and to arrive to a satisfactory solution. Some problems require numerous sessions, but sometimes even one or few sessions result in improved mood and self-confidence and help to gain insights that could lead to desired changes.

We believe in our clients capacities to evolve and transcend their challenges. Our mandate is to partner with our clients to help them become the best possible versions of themselves where they are more fully engaged with their lives, less burdened by emotional suffering and troubled relationships while actively realizing their potential.

If you find yourself in pain, depressed, anxious, grieving a loss, or going through a life transition, you might be feeling confused and overwhelmed. Often our thoughts and feelings can get tangled with our expectations leaving us unsure about how to move forward. In our sessions together we will explore what is working for you and what parts of your self are being challenged by the new circumstances. By developing greater self-awareness and practicing self-acceptance, you will begin to discover new ways to grow and strengthen as a person. When you know yourself well you can intercept unhealthy patterns of living as they emerge.

I've been a psychotherapist for the past 14 years and specialize in working with individuals and couples. My practice is trauma-informed, collaborative, anti-oppressive, multicultural, multiracial, multiethnic, and spans sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status and religious affiliation. My perspective is psychoanalytic but we are all different so I do not limit my approach. I am also trained in CBT and EFT. I am warm, empathetic, nonjudgemental and hope to work with you to create movement in your life. My areas of expertise include depression and other mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addiction, trauma.

Feeling more sad, or anxious than your usual? Suffering due to a loss? Dealing with an aftermath of trauma you experienced long time ago, or recently? Going through your relationship/marriage crisis? Struggling with your self-esteem? Struggling with your own, or that of your close one's LGBTQ - related issues? Going through a stressful immigration process? Affected by the COVID19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS, or other chronic illness? Dealing with issues related to separation from biological family and, or with adoption experience? Stressed by your academic / work performance? Finding yourself in a life transition?

You are not alone in your journey. I am accepting new clients and I am available to support you. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, I can help you learn to cope better and understand your own mind. Working together, we can explore how your unconscious mind affects your thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. I have many years of experience working with teens, adults, and seniors. I offer a safe and non-judgmental place to explore the issues that are getting in the way of you living your life to your potential.

Are you looking to address the underlying emotional causes to your difficulties once and for all? Perhaps you have already tried learning skills to manage your symptoms or engaged in supportive talk-therapy but have not found the relief you are seeking. If you are stuck in patterns of behaviours or thoughts that are perpetuating your suffering and you are seeking a new approach, we can work together to help you break free from these patterns. We are a team of clinicians who are dedicated to providing evidence-based treatments tailored to your unique needs that achieve long-lasting positive outcomes efficiently.

My name is Gauhar Shariff, and I am a Registered Psychotherapist. I have over 13 years of experience helping individuals and couples overcome life’s challenges. Each individual coming to therapy is unique and has their own set of issues, needs and goals. My aim is to create a safe and supportive environment where individuals can freely express themselves , share concerns and work towards self-discovery, growth and their goals. I provide a non-judgmental space where one can explore thoughts and feelings, gain insight into behaviors and develop new strategies for coping and growing.

I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy which recognizes the existence of an unconscious mind that influences how we behave, think, and feel. Together we pay attention to what matters to you. Therapy is a conversation, but it is a very unique kind of conversation. Much of this conversation involves deep listening on my part. I also help you stay with your experience in order that the possible meanings of such things as painful emotional and relational patterns, dreams, physical symptoms, and fantasies can emerge.

Andrew Guthrie, Ph.D., Tcpp dip., R.P. has been a psychotherapist in Toronto since 2000. He trained at Concordia and McGill Universities, the University of Toronto, the Toronto Child Psychoanalytic Program, and the Toronto Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis. He offers psychodynamic assessments and psychotherapy that reflect a deep knowledge of the psychotherapy field and a genuine commitment to the patients in his care. He treats a wide variety of emotional and behavioural problems with his professional yet compassionate approach. Please call or email for more information, or visit his website www.therapyintoronto.com.

Accepting new clients - If you are looking to do a deep-dive in therapy, where we look into longstanding patterns that keep you stuck reliving the past, defense mechanisms, underlying emotions, and an examination of childhood or adolescent trauma, then we may be a good fit. I'm usually a good fit for people who've already tried CBT or DBT and now want to go deeper into their problems or concerns. I focus on helping people with Trauma & PTSD, and Dissociation via non-pathologizing approaches. I also help people with issues of Anxiety, ADHD, Phobias, Grief and Loss, and Life Transitions.

Being vulnerable with anyone can feel really scary at times, especially with a complete stranger, so I commend you for your bravery in taking the first step to help yourself, which is starting to look for resources, which led to you reading this message. I don’t believe that there is a fix-all approach to people, so I do not apply one theoretical practice to all clients I work with. Human beings are diverse and dynamic, so any approach to your mental well being should be as well.

What brings you here? Do you feel stuck in your life and thought patterns? Perhaps you are struggling with overwhelming life events or even powerful feels of anxiety and despair. Or maybe you want to strengthen or create more meaningful and relationships in your life. Do you want to find a way to reengage with yourself and thoughts to live a more free and authentic life?